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The Chicago Park District and the City of Chicago today announced that they will begin to hold community meetings to discuss the future of Jackson and South Shore Parks in light of the addition of the Obama Presidential Center and related park improvements. “The upcoming addition of the Obama Presidential Center and plans to enhance the golf courses at South Shore and Jackson Park provide a unique opportunity for community and city residents to help shape the future of the South Lakefront and surrounding communities,” said Michael Kelly, General Superintendent and CEO of the Chicago Park District. “Residents will be a critical part of this process, and we look forward to receiving valuable input.” The meetings will include brief presentations from the Park District, the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the Obama Foundation. However, the main purpose of the meetings will be to obtain community feedback about the future of Jackson and South Shore Parks. (click on "Read more")

Chicago Audubon's biennial Awards Program honors those who have made contributions to conservation, the protection of migratory birds and other wildlife, and have helped to conserve, preserve, and enhance the varied habitats and open spaces of the greater Chicago region. Both the Banquet and the Membership Meeting will be held at the Silver Stallion Restaurant, 1275 Lee/Manheim Avenues (between Algonquin and Oakton) in Des Plaines.

Please be sure we have your reservation by end of day on Wednesday, March 22.

The charge for dinner is $33 per person. Cocktails (cash bar) will be available from 5:15 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. Dinner begins promptly at 6:00 p.m. The Awards will be presented around dessert time. Immediately following the Awards presentation, the Annual Membership Meeting will begin (around 7:30). After the Membership meeting there will be a presentation of the evening's program by board member John Elliott entitled "The Ghosts of Conservation" -- take a virtual trip to the iconic places that some of our heroes and heroines of conservation have lived and worked over the decades. A few surprises may be on the itinerary! Please be sure we have your reservations for dinner by end of day on Wednesday, March 22. If you plan on attending the Annual Membership Meeting only, please plan on arriving around 7:30 p.m. If you wish, you may attend both the Awards Banquet and the Annual Membership Meeting. For online directions to the Silver Stallion Restaurant, here is a link to the map: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=1275+mannheim+Road,+des+plaines,+IL&ie=UTF8&om=1&z=15&iwloc=addr

In a recent informal poll of birders taken through the listserv called IBET (Illinois Birders Exchanging Thoughts), Jackson Park was ranked as the sixth best birding spot in the entire state of Illinois. Field Museum Conservation Ecologist and local birding guru, Dr. Doug Stotz, will give an illustrated, data-filled talk demonstrating the extremely high value for migratory birds of the habitats in Jackson Park.

Beloved for decades as a beautiful year-round refuge by birders and Hyde Park neighbors alike, Wooded Island and the adjacent landscape in Jackson Park has been the subject of controversy and some confusion recently because of several proposed new developments. These include a sculpture by Yoko Ono, the redevelopment and combining of the South Shore and Jackson Park golf courses into a championship course designed by Tiger Woods, the Obama Presidential Library, and a glass-walled pavilion for a possible concert venue. Large amounts of both private and public funds will be sought to implement these ambitious projects.

Though the public input process has been criticized as inadequate, the civically-engaged Hyde Park community has responded by attending meetings, writing letters, and asking questions. A grassroots group called Jackson Park Watch (JPW), coordinated by local leaders Brenda Nelms and Margaret Schmid, has emerged. JPW has given voice to concerns about noise, parking, loss of trees and open space, and disruption of the tranquility of the park and Wooded Island. JPW members attend Park District board meetings, providing information, and talking to the media. (http://jacksonparkwatch.org and www.facebook.com/jacksonparkwatch)

After Doug’s talk there will be a discussion of these issues with a panel that includes Dr. Stotz as well as JPW’s Margaret Schmid and others to be decided. We would like to explore how these projects could affect birds at Jackson Park and talk about compromise solutions as well as communication pathways.

Laurel Ross, Chicago Audubon Conservation Committee

Margaret Schmid, Jackson Park Watch Coordinator

Light refreshments at 7:00 p.m., program begins at 7:15 p.m. If you have questions or need directions, call the Chicago Audubon office at 773-539-6793. You do not need to be a member of Chicago Audubon to attend any of our Programs. Everyone is welcome!

The Chicago Audubon Society invites you to attend a special program presented by Dr. Peter Marra of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center on his new book, Cat Wars. In this book, Pete documents the enormous impact that free-roaming cats have on birds and small mammals. Pete's scholarly approach to the subject presents a side of the story that has been ignored in recent press reports and local initiatives to establish feral cat colonies. His book has been described as "a brave, engaging, and careful accounting of the cats we love and the devastation they inflict on birds and other wildlife."

Location: The North Park Village Nature Center, 5801 North Pulaski Road, Building D.

Light refreshments at 7:00 p.m. The Program will begin at 7:15. Nonmembers of Chicago Audubon and the Field Museum are welcome. Bring family and friends. No formal registration is necessary--the program is free to everyone. However, if you plan to attend, please send the Chicago Audubon office an email or give us a call to let us know how many in your party so we have some idea of how many chairs to set up. Also contact us if you need directions or have questions: [email protected]; phone 773-539-6793. We hope to see you there!

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